David Takes the Plunge
by AaronCottrell97
Summary: It has been raining heavily on the island for days, and the constant rain is causing trouble on Toby's line and a fallen tree is blocking the river. To keep the river flowing, Emily and David are sent to clear the tree, but disaster soon strikes.


Summer was passing on Sodor now. August was close to an end, and the weather was just starting to cool down again, while all the engines kept working away, waiting for Thomas to come home again.

Then came a very wet round of weather. It rained and rained for a whole, entire week, which made working miserable for the engines again, as most of them required tarpaulins to cover their tenders and keep their coal dry. It may have not been blistering heat, but everything was wet, wet, wet. Water levels in rivers and lakes had gone up a foot or two. It wasn't enough to cause any flooding, but it still did cause concern for Arlesdale End, where Toby lived. On the seventh morning, a large tree beside Ulfstead river had been blown by strong winds, and the rain had weakened the slope, causing the tree to erode away and fall into the river, then drift along until it wedged itself against a rock, close to the bridge where Toby was once swept away with during a flood that broke the dam. Even though a new, much stronger bridge had been built in that spot ever since the flood, this tree threatened to run into it and break it away again.

That afternoon, as the rain steadily kept coming down, when Toby saw the tree near the bridge, he was worried.

"Oh dear," he said. "That tree won't stay there, and I do not wish for this bridge to be broken away after I drifted downstream in that flood!"

"No, indeed, Toby!" said Henrietta. "But we'll need help to get this tree out of the way!"

Toby's driver agreed. When the Thin Controller received the call from Toby's driver about the tree, and went right to the sheds to send an engine out to clear the tree away. Only Emily and Percy were there. Percy was resting for his mail run that night while Emily kept him company.

"I received a call from Toby's driver. There is a tree stuck on the river at Ulfstead," he said. "It had fallen down during the night, and it could break free and break the bridge on the river. I will need an engine to help pull it away before it's too late. As most of the engines are busy already and Gordon must take the express, I'll need Emily to huff up and do the job."

"Me, sir?" asked Emily. "Why can't Harold do it? Isn't he more fitting for the job?"

"I'm afraid Harold is busy patrolling the island in case of other emergencies in this continuous rain. And that tree is too heavy for Toby to haul away himself. The sooner we get rid of that tree, the better."

"Yes, sir. I'll help." And Emily set off through the wet rain.

On the way, she stopped at the Shunting Yards where a few workmen were ready to give her a long chain with a hook to help haul the tree out.

"Emily?" called a familiar voice. Emily looked and saw David coming toward her, wearing his sailing coat once again.

"Where are you off to today?" asked David.

"I have to get to Ulfstead River to help clear a tree out of the water," said Emily. "It's near a bridge that could get broken away if the tree comes loose and gets swept down the river."

"Well, I'm coming with you, Emily," said David. "After all, this weather was sometimes rather common during my service in the Navy, and my boot camp training from the beginning still holds me in excellent physical stead. Perhaps I can be of help too."

Emily looked at David for a moment, then spoke. "We'll see what you can do, captain," she winked.

David got onboard Emily and they were off through the rain. Emily huffed on past stations and through the countryside. Every time she saw a river, it seemed unusually high and fast, and the rain made her wet. But she did not mean to stand by and let that tree possibly break away and cost another bridge, so she kept going.

When she reached Arlesdale End, she saw Toby and Henrietta waiting for her.

"Emily! You made it," said Toby.

"Yes, Toby. I'm here to get that tree out of the water," said Emily. "David and I are both ready."

Toby suddenly remembered his flood incident again. "Well…you just be careful, Emily. I had a very frightful experience with that bridge."

"Really?" asked Emily. "What happened, Toby?"

"Many years ago, we had rain going on for weeks. The dam that controls the water flow here was getting weak. My driver thought it would be best to warn everyone. But as I came to that bridge and saw Percy on the other side, while I was making my way across, the dam suddenly broke away, and me and the bridge were washed away down the river. Percy reversed down his line to meet me further down the river. By then, my driver and I saw a sign, 'Beware the Waterfall.' I was scared, but brave too. Then Harold flew over and lowered a rescue cable down to me. My driver attached it around my buffer, then Harold dropped the other end to Percy, who hauled me and the bridge to safety. After the rain stopped, the dam was repaired, and the bridge was replaced too."

"Heavens me, Toby!" gasped Emily. "You were very brave indeed!"

"I know, Emily," said Toby. "Now, you best get to that bridge and get that tree out. The water isn't too high for the bridge, but that tree could still spell trouble."

"Right away, Toby," said Emily. "Come on, David."

And they set off down the line through the small valley toward the bridge. But as they went on their way, they didn't notice who saw them in Arlesdale End. Sir Lowham was wearing a raincoat and he had seen Emily talking with Toby. He had a naughty plan in mind.

"Hmm…" he grinned through his mustache. "He's a fine young man…and just a little surprise won't hurt…" And he quietly followed down the way Emily went…

Eventually, Emily reached the bridge. The river wasn't nearly as rough or high as it was when Toby was swept away, and Emily looked around for the tree. David got out and looked around too.

"There it is, Emily!" he called, pointing to the left. Emily looked, and there it was. The tree was only a few yards away, covered in branches and wedged against a rock. But as the river kept flowing, they could see the tree moving ever-so slightly in the current. They'd have to get it out soon.

"Let's get to it, Emily," said David.

Emily's driver brought the chain out and hooked it to her front coupling. Then he and David took the other end with the hook out toward the tree. Both men managed to anchor the hook tightly to a spot where it would hold onto the tree. After that, her driver ran back to her cab, while David stayed by the tree.

"All set, Emily!" David called.

Then Emily began to reverse and pull on the tree. It was heavy, but at first, it wasn't too hard. The tree slowly slid through the wedge in the rock, away from the water…when suddenly, one of the thicker branches got caught in the wedge and stopped Emily in her tracks. She tugged and pulled and let off steam from her efforts, but she couldn't move the tree much further.

"Oh, dear!" she strained as she tried to pull again. "David! Can you do anything about that branch?"

David looked and saw the tree stuck where it was. "Certainly, Emily." And he strode down to the rock where the branch had wedged itself. He checked the branch carefully, then prepared himself.

"Now, this is MY idea of hard work. One...two…three…HRGH!" David grunted as he slowly and carefully rolled the tree upward inch by inch, freeing the branch and helping Emily pull the tree further away from the river.

Emily could now move more easily than before, and the tree moved much more now. David held on as he walked back up the riverbank, and soon, the tree was right out of the water. Now the bride was completely safe.

"Well done, Emily," said David.

"You too, David," said Emily. "You're very strong. I see the Navy gave you a good sense of strength."

"Actually, Emily…" said David. "I think I should take another look out there. Just in case there are any other trees out there that may need hauling out."

And David walked back down to the edge of the river, looking to the left for a minute or two. But while he was doing this, someone had come up beside Emily, chuckling quietly. The person slowly began walking past Emily, but she looked down and saw who it was through the raincoat.

"Sir Lowham," she whispered. "Just exactly what do you think you are doing?"

Sir Lowham looked up and put a finger to his nose. "Shh," he whispered.

"No tricks. Not today," said Emily.

"I just want to surprise him," Sir Lowham replied. "It's been a gloomy week, and a little laugh won't hurt."

"Not too sudden now," Emily whispered sternly as Sir Lowham slowly crept right up behind David, while he was looking down to the right for any other trees. Sir Lowham waited until David spoke again.

"Alright, Emily. I don't see any more trees in trouble," David said as he began to turn around. "I say we get going and-"

"SURPRISE! Very drippy day, isn't it?!" shouted Sir Lowham.

"Eek!" David exclaimed as he jumped, then began to step back in shock. Sir Lowham was already laughing heartily.

"Not so sudden, Sir Lowham!" David scolded. "This isn't-Whoa, whoa! Help!" David had leaned back a little too far, and was about to fall into the river. Emily looked and gasped, coming forward a few feet.

"Oh, goodness gracious me!" Sir Lowham gasped, suddenly worried. "Here, David! I got you!"

He hastily ran to grab David's hand, but he suddenly stepped on a smooth stone, and slipped. Sir Lowham lost his balance and fell forward, right into David…then a second later, Sir Lowham…and David fell off the riverbank!

"AAAAGH!" David yelled as he and Lowham fell into the river. Emily gasped as she saw her first driver's son disappear under the surface with a splash. Five seconds later, the two men burst up again, flailing their arms furiously and fighting to stay afloat.

"Sir Lowham!" David coughed against the water. "Sir Lowham, you stupid imbecile! Get off of me, you idiot!"

Then the current began pulling both men down and away from Emily in seconds.

"Blistering Biscuits! We're being washed away!" Sir Lowham howled.

"Agh! No! No! I-!" David exclaimed as he fought hard to escape the currents.

Emily watched in horror as both men were swept away by the river. She had to go after them.

"Is that the bridge that leads to where the line meets the river?!" she demanded.

"It must be, Emily. Toby said so," said her driver. Emily suddenly got an idea.

"Retrieve that chain from the tree!" she ordered her driver, who immediately obliged. Once the chain had been retrieved and placed in her cab, Emily proceeded to cross the bridge. It creaked a little in the rain, but luckily, she made it across. Now she could take her chance to save David.

"Take me down that line!" she ordered again. "Right now, and don't let them get into any more trouble! David! DAVID, I'M COMING!" And she took off as fast as she could, down the line and around the bend, so she could meet the river again, hopefully before it was too late.

"I hope we make it in time, Emily!" said her driver.

"I don't hope, sir…we ARE making it there!" Emily said firmly. "I already lost Lawrence! I'm NOT gonna lose David!"

As she raced down the line, she suddenly saw Harold flying overhead as he was now patrolling over the branch line.

"Harold! HAROLD!" Emily called up.

"Emily? What is it?" Harold called back.

"David and Sir Lowham have fallen into the river! Please see if you can find them!"

"I'll try!" And Harold buzzed away.

"I'm coming for you, David!" Emily whistled. "And Dowager Hatt is coming for you too, Sir Lowham," she said angrily to herself.

Eventually, Emily came to another opening through the small valley and saw the river again…and beyond that, the drop-off to the waterfall. There was no sign of David or Sir Lowham…yet. Then suddenly, she could hear distant shouts further up the river.

Some way further up the river, David and Sir Lowham were still fighting the current furiously, looking for a suitable place to hold onto or get out of the river, while they hotly argued over who was to blame for their current predicament.

"I was looking for any other trees in trouble, and you had to cause all this fuss!" David snapped. "You with your old tricks and lack of quality your brother possesses!"

"You with your big emerald ship that's clearly a decoration like Cap'n' Calles' ship!" Sir Lowham snapped back.

"I served in the Navy for six years to earn that ship! I'm a CAPTAIN!" David roared. "How you even got a knighthood is beyond me, especially after your scaring me so that we're both fighting for our lives!"

Both men kept struggling to find safety. Then suddenly, a few seconds later, Sir Lowham turned and swam away from David, to the first riverbank he could reach, and managed to get out, but David thought he made Sir Lowham go away.

"Rah! Ha-ha! That's it, Lowham!" he laughed. "I warned you! I warned you good! You'll think twice before messing with Captain David Rider! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

But as he drifted downstream in his spell of victory, he suddenly heard an all-too familiar voice scream in his direction.

"SWIM, DAVID! SWIM!" There was Emily.

David looked back, and his gleeful smile suddenly changed to a gape of shock and horror. There was the sign that read, "Beware the Waterfall." And just beyond that…a sudden drop-off.

"Ah! Ah! AAGH! Whoa!" And David began swimming furiously against the current, to no avail. "Help! Agh!"

Emily wailed fearfully, almost crying, and rushed forward, then stopped as close as she could to the river. Her driver hastily hitched the chain to her front coupling, then threw it as far as it would go, out to David, who just managed to catch the hook and gripped as tightly as he could, with the current ever pushing against him toward the waterfall.

"Hold on, David!" Emily shrieked, her eyes spilling out tears of fright.

David struggled to hold on, so he wouldn't get swept over the falls. Then he heard a whirring sound above his head and looked up.

"Steady now, captain! Don't let your lifeline slip now!"

"Harold!" called David.

"Emily! Get David out of there!" Harold called urgently.

"I've got him, Harold!" Emily whistled. "Hold tight now, David!" And she slowly and carefully began to reverse, pulling the chain and David with her. Harold continued to hover over the river in case anything did happen. David held on so tightly, his hands hurt, but he didn't care. He was going to get out alive and well. He looked upwards, right into Emily's eyes, and she looked right back at him, just as intently.

"Don't you let go!" Emily ordered. "Climb the chain! PLEASE!"

David hesitated at first, then took a chance. As he inched forward, one hand going up at a time, he could feel the current still pushing him. He just refused to give up. Every motion forward as he climbed the chain was a struggle…but eventually, he made it out. David was safe at last on the riverbank. Harold flew away to continue his patrols.

Emily let out a long, deep sigh of great relief, then began to cry more with overwhelming joy. She had saved her first driver's son's life. Her crew retrieved the chain once again and she slowly came forward until she was beside David, to make sure he was truly alright.

"_All this? Just for clearing away a tree?_" David thought to himself. "_Well, whoever heard of Sir Lowham being reasonable anyway?_"

David climbed away from the riverbank, feeling breezy, wet and cold. And there'd been times when he looked a lot better too. He then sat on the side of the line, staring out to the rushing river.

A few minutes later, Emily saw Sir Lowham walking by, looking worried and ashamed. He looked up at Emily with such worry and guilt on his face, Emily knew not to be angry at him. She watched as he slowly approached David and touched his shoulder and began speaking very quietly to him. Emily couldn't hear what they were saying, but about a minute later, she saw David reach his hand up to shake Sir Lowham's hand. Then Sir Lowham bowed his head and walked back beside Emily, not saying another word.

Suddenly, a few minutes later, the rain stopped and the wind died down. Emily looked up and slowly saw the sky get brighter ad brighter. Then, about twenty minutes later, the sun beamed its way through the clouds. As it was early evening, the sun shone a magnificent reddish orange through the clouds.

For about half an hour, David did not move. He continued to sit beside the line, staring at the beautiful sky, feeling relieved, jumpy and relaxed all at once. He had never come so close to doom on Sodor before, and he felt incredibly lucky to be alive. Then Emily saw him finally get up and slowly turn around, walking slowly and shakily away from where he sat.

"David…" she breathed deeply.

David looked up, then ran up to her and onto her running plate. He spread his arms, then hugged her face as closely as he could, nuzzling his face to her warm, soft cheek, while Emily sighed peacefully, feeling her good friend hugging her. About a minute later, David softly let go and stepped down. Then for half an hour more, David and Emily stood there together, watching the marvelous sky in all its sunlit glory.

At last, they decided to go home. David invited Sir Lowham to ride with them, who simply nodded and got onboard with David. Then Emily set off back down the line. As he sat in Emily's cab by the firebox, David's clothes and hair were beginning to dry off, and he finally felt safe again.

As the sky darkened overhead into night, Emily stopped at Knapford Station to drop off Sir Lowham. As he feared, and as Emily predicted to herself, Dowager Hatt was waiting.

David saw her too and stepped out to speak with her. "Please, ma'am. Don't be too harsh on him. He's very sorry," he whispered.

Dowager looked at David and smiled. "I will handle it, Captain," she said. David smiled back and got back onboard Emily while Sir Lowham and Dowager began their little talk…

Then, as Tidmouth Sheds came into view, the clouds slowly parted even more, clearing the sky and revealing the stars again. Emily stared up at the sky as she turned round to her berth. Then as she backed in and settled down, the entire area suddenly lit up in a white glow as a full moon cast its way through the clouds. It was most beautiful to see, especially after she had saved Lawrence's son.

David got out of her cab again and got on her running plate again. "Oh, Emily!" he gasped as he hugged her face again. "You were magnificent! You are absolutely the hero of the day!"

"My dear David," Emily said softly, but seriously. "I…I'm so, so happy you're safe. I was so scared today."

"So was I, Emily," David replied. "But I was brave too, just like you. And you were there for me. I'll be forever grateful for you saving my life."

He kneeled down on her running plate and held her cheeks with both hands. Emily looked at him with shimmering eyes and glowing happiness.

"I'm here, Emily," David whispered. "I'm always here for you." And he kissed Emily on her left cheek, then her right, then kissed her cute little nose. Emily blushed and giggled from the kisses David gave her.

"Oh…on the soul of your father, for as long as you live, I'll never let you go, David," Emily whispered happily. She closed her eyes, puckered her lips and gave David a big kiss on his entire cheek, like she did when he told her all about his navel maneuver.

"Mmm…" she hummed happily as she kissed him.

When she let go, she saw David smiling with utmost joy. Then Emily got an idea and reversed gently inside her berth while David held on. David knew what she was thinking and nodded to her. He took off his sailing coat and folded it into a pillow. He would sleep with Emily once again, just so she'd know he was there.

"Sweet dreams, David," Emily yawned happily.

"Sweet dreams, my dear Emily," David yawned. He leaned up and kissed her cheek once more, then they both fell asleep peacefully, smiling all the way.

Outside, the Thin Controller stopped his car outside the sheds to check the engines, and saw David and Emily sleeping together.

"Well," he said quietly to himself, looking up at the night sky. "I don't believe I've ever heard such a heroic story as this one, of our dear Emily and our brave Captain David. Lawrence Rider ought to be mighty proud."

And he left the sheds and went home. David stirred a little and opened his eyes halfway…and what he saw made him jump up. He gently nudge Emily's cheek to wake her up…and what she saw made her nearly cry happily. Lawrence Rider's spiritual likeness had appeared above the sheds, smiling down at Emily and David.

_**"Well done, my dear Emily. Well done…my son."**_

David and Emily smiled at him and fell asleep again, while Lawrence faded into the night sky again. It had been a most exciting day for Emily and David. As for Thomas, he had been travelling the world for a long, long time. But it was not only a matter of such time that some big news would come to Sodor…and eventually spark off a most joyful event that no one on Sodor would ever forget.

* * *

Now I know none of you were expecting this one, frankly I wasn't either until Jeremy brought it up. Basically the premise of this one, aside from the obvious "Toby and the Flood" parallels, is to sort of be the Sodor equivalent to Thomas saving Nia from the avalanche in the Himalayas before they start their journey back to Sodor, which yes, Thomas will finally be making his way back to Sodor in the next story, we will see Mr. Percival getting the phone call from India. So, tell us what you thought of this surprise story, and we'll see you all next time.


End file.
